Bulletproof 1 Change of Perception
by Leslie Emm
Summary: Danny/Flack friendship back in the day. Hoping it's funny, longer summary inside but in short, this might explain why they both respect their female counterparts. Rated M for language. First in a series.
1. Chapter 1

**Change of perception.**

So, I don't really know where this came from, except watching a few episodes episode and ESU (Emeregency Service Unit) were present, they're the SWAT team equivalent for NYPD from what I can make out. It occurred to me that from what we see of Flack and Danny, they have a past before CSI brought them together, I could see them going through the academy or being rookies together at some point. I could also see them being a bit chauvinist towards women on the job as cocky rookies. They obviously now have a healthy respect for their female counterparts (Flack/Angell and Danny/Lindsay) but also the other female detectives they come across. Hopefully it's Danny/Flack friendship with obviously an F/O/C from their past.

…...

Chapter One – Krazy Kate

Officer Daniel Messer patrolled the streets of New York with purpose, his partner was older, jaded, and supposed to be there to teach him a thing or two. Danny felt he'd learned what he needed at the Academy, and that his wit and quick thinking would get him through anything else. He'd managed to escape his roots, he should have been the other side of the blue collar, but he'd brought himself this far. He had something to prove, and by God was he going to do it!

Across town, Officer Donald Flack Junior was bored, and thought if he saw another doughnut, he'd throw up. He was Grandson of a beat cop, and son of a legend. He'd breezed the academy, cop was in his blood. He sat in the front seat of the patrol car, wishing the old guy behind the wheel would let him drive, or chase someone, or at least have a heart attack so he had something to do. There were criminals crawling all over this city, and Flack wanted to catch them, see some action, collect some scalps. All his partner was interested in was eating his own body weight in junk food and living long enough to collect his retirement.

Officer Katherine Howard was patrolling with her partner, eyes on alert for any wrong doing. Her partners motto was to go as slowly as possible, challenging someone meant the risk of deserted buildings and getting shot, stabbed and anything in between. Kate was confident no perp would catch her out. She'd had two collars this week, first week on the job. OK, so both times she hadn't actually made the arrest, back up had arrived and done it for her, but they were her collars really. It never occurred to her that she'd bitten off more than she could chew, and if it hadn't been for her colleagues on both occasions, she'd have probably been dead now. Back in the squad room she was known as Krazy Kate, a name which she revelled in publicly and fumed over privately. Even control had cottoned on and as soon as she called in a pursuit, they detailed nearby units to cover and most times, rescue her. They called her as Ona (Officer needs assistance) as that's all she seemed to say on the radio.

She was running now, after a guy in a hoodie she'd just intercepted trying to boost a car.

"Officer in pursuit West and 49th!" she panted, she was fast and agile, and gaining ground.

"Turned left, left, left into 48th" she told control.

"Wait for back up" They told her, which she would later claim she didn't hear.

Flack heard the exchanges, and reckoned he could make it on foot in a couple of minutes. He dived out of the car, shouting to his partner.

"I'll head him off the alley!" he said.

"Flack, don't be a hero" his partner said through a mouthful "If she calls for assistance, we'll drive along"

Flack slammed the door with a sneer, taking off on the direction of Kate's last whereabouts. He needed some action.

Danny listened with interest as the chase unfolded, he could hear his buddy Flack also in on it, and knew that no assistance call had been issued, so he must be close enough to help.

"I'm in on 47 West" he hollered into his radio.

"Suspect is heading your way Flack" he heard her pant over the radio, he had to get there before her, not that he was competitive.

"Suspect has entered alleyway leading to 47th" she shouted.

Flack knew where she was and boosted himself, he could catch the guy coming out the other end. But he couldn't see anyone, or raise Kate on the radio.

"Officer needs assistance" control said "Alleyway off 48th, emergency pin activated"

Flack sighed, heading back the way he came, she'd directed him to the wrong place, she was across the street, and she had activated the button on her radio that meant she was in danger and needed immediate assistance, the radio transmitted a signal to control of the whereabouts of the radio.

Danny grabbed at his seat belt as his partner floored the car "Car 51 responding" he fed into the radio, as they prepared to turn into the alley, they nearly flattened the suspect hotfooting it out again.

He leapt from the car, pointing his gun at the guy, Flack blasted around the corner and launched himself at the man, taking his feet out from under him.

"Get down, stay down!" Danny shouted, covering Flack as he subdued the suspect, Danny's partner helped cuff the guy and drag him to his feet.

"All yours rookie" he said, he wasn't a bad man, just tired of a job he used to love, the young cop had worked for it, he deserved the arrest.

Flack read the guy his Miranda rights as they stuffed him into the patrol car.

"Kate?" Danny shouted into the alley, there was no reply.

"Well she sent me in the wrong direction" Flack observed "She's probably in LA by now"

Danny got his flashlight out "We pulled a knife off that guy Don" he said "She could be hurt"

Flack sighed and headed into the alley again with Danny, he supposed the suspect had plenty of time to do something to Kate, and focussed on catching the guy, he could have missed her in the alley.

"Damn broads" he muttered "They shouldn't be out here chasing crazies at night"

"That's not very politically correct Officer Flack" Danny laughed as they fanned the alley for signs of Kate.

"You disagree then?" he asked "I'd rather a guy had my back, what chance does a woman like Kate stand against a big guy? Even with a gun? They shouldn't do it, it just causes more problems than it solves. It's not their fault, they're just not made the same"

"I know what you mean buddy" Danny said "But we can't do nothin' about it, so we gotta protect them the best we can, and you gotta admit, a pretty girl looks damned hot running in the uniform"

"Yeah, you got that" Flack agreed "Crazy she may be, but I do like watching Kate run" he grinned.

Danny laughed "Yeah, especially when she forgot her sports bra, imagine..." he tailed off as Flack frowned, holding up a hand.

"Sssh" Flack said "You hear that?"

Faintly, from the other end of the alley they could hear shouting and banging.

"Is it coming from the dumpster?" Danny frowned.

They crept up, guns poised. Danny lifted the lid quickly as Flack swept the dumpster interior with his gun, holstering it he started to laugh.

"Oh shut up Flack!" Kate's voice echoed from the dumpster "And help me out!"

"Kate?" Danny peered in, seeing Kate on her back among the trash, looking furious.

Flack held his hand out to her as Danny started to laugh "C'mon then" he told her.

"I can't!" she fumed "I'm cuffed!"

That finished them off "With your own cuffs?" Flack panted.

"Just get me out!" she wailed.

Danny was doubled over, barely able to hold the lid open, Flack wasn't much better.

"Someone's gonna have to go in and get her" Danny observed between bursts of giggles, tears were starting to stream down his face.

"Rock, paper, scissors?" Flack suggested, Danny just nodded.

"Always Rock" Flack's humour dissipated at the thought of climbing into the dumpster as he lost. Danny's increased.

"Boost me up then!" Flack snapped, Danny barely had the strength to push his friend over the edge of the dumpster for his continued laughter.

Flack landed next to her, flipping her over none too gently and undoing the cuffs with his own keys. He started to laugh again as she got indignantly to her feet.

"I don't see what's so damned funny!" she fumed "Had to be you two didn't it? No one else could have took that call, oh no, had to be batman and robin!"

"Hey, you want cuffing again Krazy?" Flack warned "I just climbed in a dumpster to save your ass"

She pushed him, losing his balance he sprawled backwards as she scrambled out the dumpster, using Danny's shoulders as support.

"You're gonna pay big time for that Howard!" he shouted, extricating himself from the dumpster.

The three of them stood in the alley, Flack and Kate brushing themselves off, Danny wiping tears from his face.

"Damn!" Danny said.

"Damn what?" Kate narrowed her eyes at him.

"Just damn" he chuckled "How the hell did you end up in there anyway?"

"Well, I had the guy, and as back up was _so_ slow to arrive" she directed a look in Flack's direction "He overpowered me, took my cuffs outta my hand and dumped me in there"

Flack huffed "See what I mean?" he asked Danny.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she growled at Flack.

"Didn't occur to you to wait?" Flack was serious now "You knew I was near, you should have waited, that guy had a knife, we coulda been pullin' you out that dumpster dead Kate"

"Oh don't be such a drama queen" she scorned "I'm fine"

"I give up!" Flack stormed off back to the waiting patrol cars.

…...


	2. Chapter 2

**Change of Perception**

A/N – I see this as being around season 1 or 2 maybe.

Chapter 2 – Never forget – 3 years later

They pounded up the stairs to the roof, Messer and Flack were _supposed_ to be behind them, but they weren't. They were up there, willing to take a bullet like the rest of them.

The ESU armed response task force appreciated guys like that, they worked with Detectives all over the city, but guys like these were rare. ESU were there to protect them, draw fire, take the bad guys down, but it only worked if the Detective in charge played his role. Cannon fodder they were often referred to, especially by those cops who'd leave all the running to you, keeping well out the way until the suspect was in cuffs or dead. Cops like Flack an Messer however had respect for their ESU colleagues, and it showed. Not to mention that Flack was a control freak and Messer an adrenaline junkie. No they weren't going to hide behind ESU, they were going to lead them in.

Sergeant Kate Howard hadn't seen either of them for a few years, Flack was a Detective now, working his way steadily up, Danny was CSI if his jacket was anything to go by. She hadn't heard much of them as they had left their first postings in dribs and drabs, and apart from the occasional memory, hadn't thought about them either. She'd been slightly taken aback to see them both outside the building, but there was no time for reunions, they had a job to do. Kate also remembered their disdain toward female officers. _Especially ones who get cuffed with their own cuffs and thrown in dumpsters_. She thought as they geared up ready to go in, no better to stay incognito.

The other guys broke off a few at a time to check the floors, somehow she ended up behind the Detectives, four of them in total. Flack indicated that her and her partner should break left out the service door on the roof, he and Danny would break right.

Herself and Jones, her partner for the time being, searched each possible hiding place for a suspect, using the tried and tested method of NYPD. She kept hearing from the device in her ear that floors were being cleared below them, it was starting to look more and more like the suspect was up here, and they knew he was armed and dangerous.

"NYPD! Freeze!" followed by a flurry of shots sent them running, she's often wondered how their training managed to overcome the instinct to run, take cover. But ESU had the body armour, the fire power and the training, they were the best. They ran _at_ guns, not away from them.

"Flack!" she heard Danny shout, no answer.

"Shots fired!" she said into her headpiece "Roof west side"

As her and Jones crept around the corner, she took in the scene, Flack was on his back, tell tale bullet hole in his suit jacket, but no blood, the suspect hadn't realised yet, but Flack was just winded, he'd taken one in the kevlar jacket he was wearing under his shirt. The suspect still aimed his gun at him. Jones crouched and ran to a further vantage point, trying to get behind Flack.

Danny had taken cover, he was behind a concrete air duct, trying to get a shot, he didn't have clear line of sight. Her and Jones aimed at the suspect, this was a shoot to kill situation, and they would, without hesitation.

"I have line of sight on suspect" she spoke quietly, so she could not be heard over the wind "Flack is down, repeat Flack is down"

"Peters!" Danny shouted "Give it up! You're not getting off this roof alive!"

"I'm not going back to prison!" the suspect shouted back, momentarily his attention was diverted and Flack took his opportunity, he raised up slightly, taking aim.

It was always slow motion she thought after, these situations. Peters had swung back, his finger squeezing the trigger.

Shots rang out again, this time from herself. Peters was dead before he hit the floor, and although he got a shot off, it had missed it's intended target. Flack stood, wincing slightly. She sympathised, although not as bad as being shot for real, taking one to the chest through the kevlar could break a rib or two, she'd had a few herself.

"You OK man?" she heard Danny ask, but her attention did not waver, she did not take her eyes, or her gun from the bleeding and prone suspect. It wasn't just in the movies that mad gunmen started shooting again after taking a body full of lead. Until death was confirmed, or the gun clear and cuffs on, she remained as she had.

"Suspect is down, three shots fired" she said into her set as protocol indicated, it helped the tac team piece together what was going on, it also helped to clear or damn them in the event of an investigation.

Danny kicked the gun away from Peters lifeless hand before confirming what they already knew. He shook his head at Flack.

"Suspect is deceased" Flack spoke into his radio "ESU stand down"

That was her cue. Kate lowered her gun, unstrapped the goggles and turned back to the stairs. _Another scumbag dead_ she thought _and back to the shrink for me_. It seemed pretty pointless but it was procedure, when you shot a person, it affected you in ways you didn't understand until it happened. Even if that person was a raping murderer, escaped from prison after killing two guards.

…...

"I just wanna speak to the guy on the roof" Flack told the Commanding Officer of the ESU "When a someone saves my life, I like to thank him in person"

"Howard!"

"CO!" she answered, coming forward, she crammed an NYPD baseball cap over her short hair, aware that it was sweaty, and that her face was red, bearing the indents of the goggles and helmet she'd just removed.

She thought afterwards, that she should have taken a snapshot of their faces as she jumped down from the tac truck. Flack's expression especially was priceless.

"Krazy Kate?" Danny said, shock all over his face.

"The same, Robin" she nodded "How you doin'?"

"Oh my Gawd" he gaped "I don't believe it!" Danny enveloped her in a hug, grinning from ear to ear "ESU huh?"

He released her and she looked at Flack, his face was a cross between confusion and annoyance.

"How's ya ribs there Batman?" she teased lightly. She remembered the arguments the two guys had had as rookies over who got Batman and who got Robin. Grudgingly Danny had accepted the Robin role, as Flack was darker, taller and in his own inflated ego, cooler. Danny refuted the last statement, insisting Robin was way cooler.

"What idiot gave you a rifle?" he said, although he'd recovered and was smiling at her. He offered his hand, He'd momentarily considered a hug. Flack only hugged his family, best friends who needed it and girls he intended to sleep with.

"ESU two years now" she said, shaking his hand "Sergeants exams are a bitch huh?"

"I wouldn't know" Danny said smiling, but Flack nodded, he knew they were, but also knew she was now the same rank as him and one above Danny. That stung a little.

"You had something to say to me?" she pressed those blue eyes, enjoying herself.

"Thanks" Flack said sincerely "If you weren't such a good shot, I'd be standin' here dead"

"Your lines haven't improved I see" she laughed, turning as her CO hollered her back on the truck "But call it even"

"Even?" he frowned.

"The dumpster" she said as she jumped back on the truck and the door was pulled down.

Flack and Danny watched the truck pull away, Danny shaking his head.

"So much for damned broads huh?" he asked his friend.

"You're fuckin' tellin' me" Flack replied, staring after the tail lights.

…...


End file.
